The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-08
Is IT MISS MABBITT'S BODY9V
Efforts to Identify the Decayed Corpse
Taken from the Wabash River.
Evidence Tending to Show that It May Be
the Remains of the Mabbitt Girl-History
Of Her Relations with Amer G. Green.
special to the Indianapolis Journal


Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LAFAYETTE, Ind, Feb. 7-Public curiosity
has been greatly excited over the findinr of the
body of unknown woman in the Wabash
river, as noted in Mondays Journal number
of curiosity seekers, and some from the hope
that they might be able to identify the remains.
have visited the undertaker's Office to look upon
the corpse There is no possibility of indentif-
cation by this means. however. as the flesh ID
entirely gone from the face, and there remains
nothing but the bare skull. The eyes are gone
in fact. the head could not have been more
thoroughly cleaned by the surgeons knife
Drs. Ingersoll and Irwin this morning exam
ined the body. so as to establish the sex beyond
dispute. They unhesitatingly pronounce the
body that of woman The body has the APP
pearance of having been sprinkled with some
substance to hasten and insure decomposition.
The flesh crumbled to dust or powder. wheE
touched.
discovery was made this morning, during
the examination, that may lead to the iientif-
cation of the remains In the folds of the body
was found small piece of wine-colored silk, ev-
identity fragment of dress or handkerchief
There was also similar sized piece of what
was once an underskirt The fabric was of or
binary quality but of steel gray in color. A COM
parison of the remains was made with the descrip-
ton furnished of the missing Lou Mabbitt. of Car
roll county. The broken front tooth in the up
per jaw corresponds exactly with that of the
corpse. In addition, one of the lower 'front.'
teeth is gone, but the undertakers think this
vyaa opa in vipo fha nohk
have been knocked out by the mouth coming in
contact with stone or log while in the water
This latter theory is perhaps the most reason
able from the fact that the remaining teeth on
either side of the vacant space are loose. The
police deemed the body to correspond sufficiently
with the description to this morning send mes.
sage to the sheriff of Cass county, with instruc~
tons to notify the parents of Miss Mabbitt and
request them to come on here. An answer was
received saying they would come the first
train.
William Mabbitt, father Of the missing Lou
Mabbitt arrived to night, accompanied by Sher-
if Stolnley of Logansport He decided not 80
look at the remains tonight In an interview
with the coroner, tonight Mabbtt gave new
point that confirms the belief that the body yes-
terday found in the river is that of Lou Mabbitt
Besides the missing front tooth, Mabbitt stated
that the one adjoining contained a large cavity.
He remembered this, because it was frequently
discussed by the family, and the girl wished it
filled. In the mouth of the unknown the front
tooth is missing and the next contains
large cavity. as described By the father. This
is regarded the main point gained, so far,
toward Identification. The pieces of clothing
were SO decayed and faded as to be almost I'M
recognizable. When told about the lost tooth
and the decayed one the father broke down, ex-
pressing the firm belief that the body was that
of his daughter and that she had been muir
dered. His wife did not come here, being much
overcome by the reported finding of the body.
VIZ
after which a post mortem will be made to de-
termine the cause of death. This trip to La
fayette was Mabbitts second ride on the cars,
and he is sixty seven years old
The mystery surrounding the disappearance
of Lou Mabbitt seems no nearer being unrav-
eled than it was six months ago, unless the
poor decayed body at Lancaster &fConnellk
shall indeed prove to be that Of the naiasin2-
girl. On the 10th of August last Lou Mabbitt
residing with her parents near Wheeling, Car.
roll county, went buggy riding with Amer @.
Green, who lived in the neighborhood and who
had been her lover 1t was understood at the
time that the girl had given him the mitten and
declined his offer of marriage. and it was known
that he was much disappointed thereat
her parents never afterward saw her.
The entire settlement turned out and
searched for her. Members of Green's family
we're subjected to the closest examination, and
they were threatened with personal violence IL
they did not reveal the whereabouts of Amer
and the girl, the first impression being that he
had kidnapped Miss Mabbitt, in the hope of CO.
ercing her to marry him. But days heightened
into weeks, and weeks to months, and no tidingss
came. The father employed detectives. and
was himself constantly on the CO. but he was
never able to hear anything about his missing
daughter. Occasionally there were reports in
the newspapers to the effect that
Green and the girl had been seen
here or there. and one paper located them in
Texas; but these reports never had any substap-
tial hacking. so far the father could learn.
! E. - d.
yet there was at times lingering hope that she
was living and that they would yet hear FROM
her. The police force of this city have carefully
searched through all tie records at hand con-
corning women who have disappeared, tglt thu
only case that at all fits thu description is that
of Miss Mabbitt If it should prove not to be
the remains of Miss Mabbitt then will recur the
conundrum, "Who is it'll"